Withered

Chapter 10

"I love nights when the sky is clear. Clouds are always unwelcome for me, to be honest.", said Stace.
I looked up at the night sky, full of clear, bright stars. It was breathtaking.
Stace had given me the idea to enjoy one last free night, before joining my job; and the idea was already proving to be nice.
We were driving uphill, fairly far from the city, somewhere close to the place where we had stolon that motorcycle months ago. I stopped the car at the exact spot where we had had the talk on the bonnet. I wanted to relive the moment. I quickly got out of the car and jumped on the bonnet.

"Hey Stace, come on out quickly, the place looks beautiful from here.", I called out to Stace.
Then I realised what I had done. I looked at Stace, who was still sitting in the car, looking at me with a smile. The smile gave away the sorrow she had just felt.
I clenched my fist and closed my eyes. How can I be so stupid? How could I forget that she's lost her legs, she's not the Stace that would race me to the top of the hill, or try to steal a motorcycle, she's just not exactly the Stace she was. Because she couldn't be. And I, like a heartless and mindless fool just called her to come on the bonnet, all by herself? I couldn't blame myself more, because honestly, I had forgotten that Stace couldn't walk on her own now, probably all the scenery and the feel of the place had made me forget it for a moment. I didn't say anything. I walked up to car, and lifted Stace up, with the stance of a gentleman.

"Pardon, my Queen, my firm arms can do for a chariot, right?", I said in a made up British accent, with my eyebrows raised, and a tailored expression. I was trying to be funny as I lifted her up, in order to correct the blunder my slip of tongue had just created.

She laughed and grabbed my neck softly. I could feel the happiness radiating from her eyes. She was really happy.

"Sure. Sir Sterling. I'd love to be a Queen, just for this chariot.", she too said in a thick British accent and threw her head back into laughter.

The 'Sir' made my heart beat faster for a moment. I carefully put her on the bonnet and then climbed on it myself. I kept my hands behind my head and laid on the bonnet.

"Damn!", I cried out in pain.

Stace sat straight, her expression worried.

"What happened?", she asked, puzzled.

"The bonnet there is hot! My hands.", I said, looking at my hands.

Stace burst into laughter. She had tears in her eyes due to the laughter.

"Hey, what's so funny?", I asked, disappointed.

She shook her head and grabbed my hands. She blew air over them slowly and then kissed them. I could feel losing my senses slowly, I felt as if something was making me drunk. I looked at her face, and considered kissing her.

"Hey! Max! Max?", I could hear her say.
I felt my body shaking. Was it an earthquake or what? I came back to my senses again. No. Not an earthquake. It was Stace trying to shake me out of the temporary blankness I had gone into.

"Max what happened?", she asked loudly.

I smiled and shook my head and laid on the bonnet once again. She looked at me with a poker face and laid on the bonnet too.

"So Max, tell me one thing, for how many hours would you be off to work?", she asked, looking at the night sky.

"Picture perfect nine to five.", I said, sighing on the sarcasm I put.

"Umm, so it would be boring obviously. Poor you.", she said, smiling cunningly.

I decided to give it back.

"Guess what? Nopes. It's not boring at all. You know that they have monthly trips and vacations, and luxurious parties and all? And so many beautiful ladies working with me." , I said, and laughed pure show off style.